Muscle activity monitoring or Electromyography (EMG) is a useful tool. However, EMG is typically invasive, expensive and difficult to use for untrained users. A possible solution is textile-based surface EMG (sEMG) integrated into clothing as a wearable device. This is, however, challenging due to (i) uncertainties in the electrical properties of conductive threads used for electrodes, (ii) imprecise fabrication technologies (e.g., embroidery, sewing), and (iii) lack of standardization in design variable selection...

BACKGROUND: Hip exercise has been recommended for females with patellofemoral pain (PFP). It is unknown if males with PFP will benefit from a similar treatment strategy. HYPOTHESES/PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare improvements in pain, function, and strength between males and females with PFP who participated in either a hip/core or knee rehabilitation program. The directional hypothesis was that females would respond more favorably to the hip/core rehabilitation program and males to the knee program...

BACKGROUND McArdle disease is a glycogen storage disorder mainly characterized by exercise intolerance. Prolonged muscle contracture is also a feature of this condition and may lead to rhabdomyolysis (RM), which is a serious event characterized by acute skeletal muscle damage. CASE REPORT A 44-year-old female patient presented with an acute contracture of the posterior neck muscles, causing severe nuchal rigidity. The contracture was induced during a dental extraction as she held her mouth open for a prolonged period, with her neck in a rigid position...

BACKGROUND: Muscle dysfunction and sarcopenia have been associated with poor performance status, an increased mortality risk, and greater side effects in oncologic patients. However, little is known about how performance is affected by cancer therapy. We investigated muscle strength in breast cancer patients in different adjuvant treatment settings and also compared it with data from healthy individuals. METHODS: Breast cancer patients (N = 255) from two randomized controlled exercise trials, staged 0-III and aged 54...

Powerlifters routinely focus on three exercises: bench press, squat, and deadlift. This focus may predispose them to the development of muscle imbalances in either the upper or lower extremity which might also influence posture. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine the agonist:antagonist strength ratios and their relationship to postural measures among powerlifters. An expost facto study design compared fifteen male powerlifters (35.3±13.7 years old) and fifteen age-matched controls (34...

The deadlift exercise is one of the most effective exercises for developing lower-body strength; however, technique errors can lead to low back injuries. The use of a 'walk-in' deadlift machine removes the weight bar by using a lever system with independent handles on either side of the body. Theoretically, this would allow alignment of the load with the center of gravity, encouraging a more upright torso and decreasing the involvement of the low back extensors. This study compared trunk angle, knee angle and electrical activity of key muscles between the conventional deadlift (CDL) and two foot positions (ball of foot or toe alignment) with pronated grip, (called BallPro and ToePro) of a walk-in deadlift machine among high-skilled and low-skilled lifters...

OBJECTIVES: Although the belly press and lift off tests are recommended to assess subscapularis function, shoulder internal rotation (IR) exercises performed in other shoulder positions are more commonly used to restore subscapularis function. It is not known if shoulder IR exercises specifically activate subscapularis to the same degree as the lift off and belly press tests, and thus have the potential to effect subscapularis strength gains. Therefore, the aim was to compare subscapularis activation levels with those of other shoulder internal rotator muscles during the belly press and lift off tests and shoulder IR exercise positions...

BACKGROUND: It is well documented that both balance and resistance training have the potential to mitigate intrinsic fall risk factors in older adults. However, knowledge about the effects of simultaneously executed balance and resistance training (i.e., resistance training conducted on unstable surfaces [URT]) on lower-extremity muscle strength, power and balance in older adults is insufficient. The objective of the present study was to compare the effects of machine-based stable resistance training (M-SRT) and two types of URT, i...

INTRODUCTION: Large increases in 1-repetition maximum (1RM) strength have been demonstrated from repeated testing, but it is unknown whether these increases can be augmented by resistance training. METHODS: Five trained individuals performed a 1RM test and maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVC) for unilateral elbow flexion exercise on 1 arm (testing arm), while the other arm performed a 1RM test and MVC, in addition to 3 sets of exercise (70% 1RM) (training arm) for 21 straight days...

INTRODUCTION: Balance is one of the main problems of children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). According to process-oriented approach, besides strength training, neuromuscular adaptations can improve balance. OBJETIVE: To evaluate the effects of strength training on improving static and dynamic balance in DCD children. METHODS AND POPULATION: Children between 7 to 9 years old in Tehran participated in the study through randomized controlled trial design...

INTRODUCTION: We investigated the genesis and presentation of previously-reported anxiety in disorders of autonomic overexcitation in relation to interoception, body vigilance and trauma to test our hypothesis that patients with the postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), vasovagal syncope (VVS) and essential hyperhidrosis (EH) represent atypical anxiety phenotypes in whom affective symptoms are more related to apprehension and vigilance of physiological (interoceptive) feedback than neurotic or trauma-related factors...

INTRODUCTION: Roller massage (RM) has been reported to reduce pain associated with exercise-induced muscle soreness and increase range of motion without force or activation impairments. The objective was to examine RM effects on evoked pain and contractile properties. METHODS: Twelve men received three sets of 30-s RM at a perceived discomfort level of 7/10 on a visual analogue scale on the ipsilateral (IPSI-R) stimulated plantar flexors (PF), contralateral PF (CONTRA-R), Sham (light rolling on stimulated PF), or Control...

BACKGROUND: Resistance exercise increases muscle mass and function in older adults, but responses are attenuated compared with younger people. Data suggest that long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may enhance adaptations to resistance exercise in older women. To our knowledge, this possibility has not been investigated in men. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the effects of long-chain n-3 PUFA supplementation on resistance exercise training-induced increases in muscle mass and function and whether these effects differ between older men and women...

PURPOSE: This study compared the effects of resistance training (RT) and resistance training with instability (RTI) on neuromuscular and total training volume (TTV) outcomes obtained as part of the Instability Resistance Training Trial in Parkinson's disease (IRRT-PD). It also used a linear multiple regression (forward stepwise method) to identify the contribution of neuromuscular outcomes to previously published improvements in the timed-up-and-go-test and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, motor subscale score (UPDRS-III)...